2 Year That Gets Gluten At Every Special Event We Go To

[Caseysmommy]

dfd My daughter just turned 2 two weeks ago. We have had her bday party and she had no problems at her party. The next weekend We went to my brothers for my nieces party and I followed her around making sure she didnt touch anything she wasnt suppose to and brought her gluten free cake and gluten-free hotdogs. It seems at every special occasion she gets glutened about 11pm that night she will wake up screaming and saying mommy it hurts make it stop. Makes me feel like a failure. I know its not my fault I didnt know I had this, but what can I do to help her not get glutened outside the house I feel like I trap her at home and am over protected. Thanks in advance.

Angie

[bear6954]

I had a real hard time with our family. We did not have a lot of family support - they thought I was nuts and over protective of ray and thats why he cried all the time. Now, everytime we were around them ray gets glutened. I finally got mad and explained that they were piosoning my child and that it had to stop. We now only eat at the table, so I can watch. We keep food out that is gluten free so everyone can munch. You might try cause and effect. This worked with ray when he turned two - he was just diagnosed. He got into my daughters poptart (my fault for not picking it up). I told ray no no that it gave his belly owies. He tried to throw up and I told him that was not necessary. When he had the burning poop later I explained that when he eats gluten his poops burn his bottom. Now when he tries to get my daughters or others gluten food, I tell him that it will give his belly owies and give him some of his food. It makes me mad that families dont support us. Its hard and ray is starting preschool next year. I am concerned about him sharing with friends.

[MommyofTwins]

dfd My daughter just turned 2 two weeks ago. We have had her bday party and she had no problems at her party. The next weekend We went to my brothers for my nieces party and I followed her around making sure she didnt touch anything she wasnt suppose to and brought her gluten free cake and gluten-free hotdogs. It seems at every special occasion she gets glutened about 11pm that night she will wake up screaming and saying mommy it hurts make it stop. Makes me feel like a failure. I know its not my fault I didnt know I had this, but what can I do to help her not get glutened outside the house I feel like I trap her at home and am over protected. Thanks in advance.

Angie

It may sound crazy, but you have to make an annoucement at the beginning of every party. Tell everyone NOT to feed your child. She had a wheat allergy and cannot eat anything you have not brought yourself. Then explain to your daughter to ask about wheat before eating anything. It will take time I am sure, but well worth the effort in the long run. The other thing I might suggest is a family meeting. You can meet with everyone - not at a party - and explain the seriousness of this allergy. Bring a short one page handout about celiacs. And scare them!!! it works.

[ChemistMama]

Make sure to educate your little one. My son was diagnosed at 18 months. Every single time he was confronted with gluten food, I'd say 'No, GLUTEN!! Owie Tummy!" , then I'd make sure to give him something equivalent that was gluten-free so he wouldn't feel left out. When I'd give him something gluten-free that looks like a gluten food, like pretzels or bread, I"d say "Look, Mommy made you special gluten free bread/pretzels! Just for you! You can eat these and not get sick!". My son naturally stopped eating anything while he was sick, and I actually had to convince him that the gluten-free cookies wouldn't make him sick. Emphasizing the bad foods along with the good has helped a lot to make sure my little guy doesn't get glutened.

Another way to freak out your relatives is to show them his endoscopy pictures (if he had one done).

An easy way to explain celiac to people is like this: "When your intestines are healthy, these little fingers called villi help take vitamins from your food. Healthy villi = shag carpeting, sick villi = berber carpeting (or outdoor plastic carpeting). So, any amount of gluten will make him very sick and start to chop off those villi. Please don't feed him unless you ask me if the food is OK first!"

Good luck! I"m happy that I have very supportive family members who understand his issues.